Tag Archives: algeria

Danny Tickle signs new three-year contract with Hull

• 27-year-old had been linked with Huddersfield • Second-rower has scored 729 points in 99 appearances Hull’s goal-kicking forward Danny Tickle has ended speculation over his future by signing a new three-year contract. The 27-year-old former Halifax and Wigan second-rower was out of contract at the end of the season and, after stalling on his club’s offer, had been linked with a move to Huddersfield. “It is a decision I wanted to take some time over and it has been on my mind a lot recently,” said Tickle, who will make his 100th appearance for the club at Huddersfield on Sunday. “I had to consider what was best for me and my family. However, I made the decision easy for myself when I knew I wanted success because I feel that Hull is where I can achieve something. It is a club I love with some great people. The staff, the coaches and all the players are great and I have some really good friends here.” Tickle has scored 729 points in his 99 appearances so far and needs just 10 more to become the 14th highest scorer as well as the 12th highest goal scorer in the club’s history. Hull coach Richard Agar said: “I am delighted that we have secured the services of Danny on a longer-term deal. He plays a lot of games, a lot of minutes and is a top-line goalkicker for us and for those reasons he would be an integral part of any side.” Hull FC Super League Rugby league guardian.co.uk

See the rest here:
Danny Tickle signs new three-year contract with Hull

World Cup: The People v Barry Glendenning

Competition: Pit your wits against our betting “expert” throughout South Africa 2010

Go here to see the original:
World Cup: The People v Barry Glendenning

Video: World Cup 2010: England v Algeria – ‘A moment of truth is approaching’

The Guardian’s football correspondent Kevin McCarra is in Cape Town to offer his verdict on England’s crunch World Cup game against Algeria John Domokos Kevin McCarra

Read the rest here:
Video: World Cup 2010: England v Algeria – ‘A moment of truth is approaching’

World Cup 2010: David James to start for England against Algeria

• Follow Sean Ingle’s live blog and discuss the decision • Robert Green pays price for goalkeeping error against USA David James is set to be handed a shock recall to England’s starting line-up for this evening’s critical Group C fixture against Algeria after Fabio Capello decided against selecting Robert Green following his costly error against the United States. The veteran Portsmouth goalkeeper is to replace Green at the Green Point stadium after the England manager opted for experience in a fixture that the national team can ill afford not to win. Capello had been impressed by the manner in which Green recovered his poise following his handling mistake against the US , which presented Clint Dempsey with an equalising goal, but he remained concerned that his defenders’ faith in the goalkeeper had been significantly eroded. Furthermore, Green appeared nervous in front of the media at open training at the ground yesterday, fumbling two shots from Ray Clemence in one of the early drills. While the youngster, Joe Hart, has been consistently the most impressive of the three goalkeepers in training since the squad first convened in Austria ahead of the tournament, Capello has now opted for the 39-year-old James’s know-how in the hope he will provide surety as England attempt to kick-start their World Cup campaign. James won his 50th cap in the recent defeat of Japan in Graz but, having been a regular over the first year of Capello’s reign, slipped behind Green in the pecking order last season. Even so, he had been expected to start the tournament as the Italian’s No1 and was disappointed not to be selected against the USA in Rustenburg last Saturday. He will now have his chance to impress tonight. Capello is only due to speak to his goalkeepers later today to confirm who he has decided to pick, with the rest of the side to be informed some two hours before kick-off this evening. World Cup 2010 England World Cup 2010 Group C Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk

Excerpt from:
World Cup 2010: David James to start for England against Algeria

World Cup: Unseen photos from 1966

As World Cup fever takes hold of the country ahead of tonight’s England’s match, we take a look back to the 1966 tournament, courtesy of Life.com, at a selection of never seen before images taken by Time & Life magazine’s photographer Art Rickerby

See original here:
World Cup: Unseen photos from 1966

World Cup 2010 paper view: Nadirs, Churchill, 4-2-3-1 and a sex change

The English press get excited about tonight’s game, and the French press get the knives out After the frustration and false hope of the USA game, the English press have gone with a mature, low-key build up ahead of tonight’s match against Algeria, instead prioritising a detailed analysis of the likely tactical battle between the two managers. ‘THEIR FINEST HOUR (AND A HALF)’ screams the front page of The Sun, a reference to the fact that this is the 21st anniversary of the day the woman from cutepop band The Sundays found a pound on the underground . See, if England win tonight they’ll be quids in too! Eh? What? Oh, apparently it’s a reference to the fact that today is the 70th anniversary of Churchill’s famous speech , an obvious reference point when talking about a bloody football match against Algeria . It’s also 27 years to the day that we last wet ourselves, so that’s a good omen too: clean up your act lads and you can go all the way! The Sun’s front-page preview also includes the heartwarming tale of newlyweds Dave and Serena Stone, who will display a 15ft St George’s flag with the words ‘Serena and Dave’s World Cup honeymoon’ at the game. “We’ve been more excited about the World Cup than the wedding,” said Serena, suggesting this one will go the distance. The Mirror, meanwhile, have an interview between John Terry and James Corden , and features a picture that gives a whole new range to the “one bullet” dilemma . They also report that the reason England’s passing was so awry against America on Saturday is not, in fact, because they are almost to a man a bunch of overrated clodhoppers, but because the FA contrived to lose 25 Jabulani balls that were delivered in February. The upshot is that England did not get to train with the official World Cup beach ball until they reached Austria in May, with the idea of getting 25 more delivered apparently beyond the wit of man. In other news, the Daily Mail reports that Warren Beatty’s teenage daughter Kathlyn plans to have a sex change . This is clearly a good omen for England, who are also looking to change their identity tonight. In the same paper, Martin Samuel is happy that the “moribund 4-4-2 formation that made such little impression on the United States will be abandoned” , with Gareth Barry returning and Steven Gerrard moving to the left in a 4-2-3-1 system. We were going to point out that England actually played something resembling a 4-2-3-1 against the US, and the way in which England play 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 makes them blurred almost to the point of indistinguishability, and that tactics aren’t really the problem anyway, it’s that the team are naffing useless at the highest level, but we can’t really be bothered. In the Telegraph, Henry Winter says that “England face a Nadir on Friday night but it is only Belhadj” , a neat pun in no way compromised by the pesky culture of capitalising proper nouns. If England do manage a nadir tonight, they will doubtless take one hell of a beating from the press tomorrow. But it will do well to match the scorn on show in France. ‘THE IMPOSTORS’ roared the headline of L’Equipe, landing a range-finding right-hander before really getting to work. “The rubbishness of the France team belies the claims by Raymond Domenech and his players about their strength of character and their ability to respond to adversity. France wakes up this morning to survey a field of ruins: its national team. “No sadness, no desolation and, above all, no anger: that is too much to give to these men who are unable to offer anything … the I-couldn’t-give-a-a-damn attitude is the only banner under which this team is capable of rallying . It is now highly probable that the France team will exit the competition, their immense failure sealed.” Le Figaro was not much kinder. “One cannot see how this team with no backbone and no soul can hope for a miracle,” they said. “This French team deserves nothing but scorn and will only be saved if the gods of football fall on their heads.” The last word goes to La Depeche Du Midi. “There can be no quibbles. There were no refereeing errors. No nasty twists of fate. No. Just another defeat for a France team that has no soul, no desire, no way of playing . The final team rejig yielded nothing – absolutely nothing – and the Mexicans, rapid and technically adept, gave the invisible Bleus a lesson on rigour, tactics and spirit. “At the conclusion of a bland – or perhaps bitter – match, something nevertheless happened and it is the major scoop of this World Cup: it turns out that, beneath his arrogance, his Mr Know-it-All air, Raymond Domenech has been hiding a heart. A genuine heart. His dejection at the end of the match proved it, the way he turned to the TV camera and let slip a laconic ‘Today, I am crushed’. The tears he wept, the ones no one believed they saw, also proved it. So it transpires that Raymond The Haughty is human. It was about time he let us know.” World Cup 2010 England Algeria Rob Smyth guardian.co.uk

Originally posted here:
World Cup 2010 paper view: Nadirs, Churchill, 4-2-3-1 and a sex change

World Cup 2010: Wesley Sneijder says Champions League beats World Cup

• Quality of football ‘better’ in European Cup • Dutch have become more pragmatic Wesley Sneijder, the Holland attacking midfielder, has criticised the quality of the football played at the World Cup to date and said it suffers by comparison to the Champions League. “So far the favourites didn’t show what they are capable of and only Germany really impressed,” said Sneijder who won the European Cup last month with Internazionale. “I think everyone has to get used to the circumstances, like the ball and altitude, and it all will start from now on,” he said. “Besides that I enjoyed watching countries like North Korea and New Zealand playing their games, but then you realise the Champions League is far better.” • Follow the Guardian’s World Cup team on Twitter • Sign up to play our great Fantasy Football game • Stats centre: Get the lowdown on every player • The latest team-by-team news, features and more The pragmatic approach used by José Mourinho at Inter has been taken on board by Sneijder’s Dutch team-mates but Holland’s performance in their 2-0 defeat of Denmark has not met with the approval of the media back in the Netherlands or the team’s fans. “In Spain and Italy they like it when you win with good football but winning without is appreciated,” said Sneijder. “Two years ago at the Euro finals we were expected to pick up the trophy after two impressive wins [over Italy and France] and the whole team got carried away with the euphoria. We know what is expected of us and that we can do much better but I can’t remember a World Cup or Euro in which a team plays six or seven fantastic matches.” World Cup 2010 Holland World Cup 2010 Group E guardian.co.uk

Link:
World Cup 2010: Wesley Sneijder says Champions League beats World Cup

Le Havre settle dispute over Paul Pogba’s move to Manchester United

• Le Havre had accused Manchester United of poaching player • Ligue two club said they have ‘reached an agreement’ Le Havre have settled their dispute with Manchester United over Paul Pogba’s controversial move to Old Trafford. “Le Havre and Manchester United are satisfied to have reached an agreement regarding Paul Pogba’s integration to the Manchester United squad,” the Ligue two side said yesterday. Le Havre had accused the Premier League club of illegally poaching the 17-year-old Frenchman from their academy last August while United said they had not broken any rules. Le Havre had asked the world governing body Fifa to investigate the case of Pogba, who they said had agreed to join them only to leave for United. The case was similar to that of league rivals Chelsea, who were banned by Fifa from signing players until January 2011 for improper conduct when they acquired Gaël Kakuta from the French Ligue 1 club Lens in 2007. The ban was later lifted after the two clubs reached an agreement. Manchester United Le Havre guardian.co.uk

More:
Le Havre settle dispute over Paul Pogba’s move to Manchester United

World Cup 2010: Algeria pen pics

Profiles of the Algeria players who could line up against England 1 Lounes Gaouaoui, Goalkeeper ASO Chlef. Age 32, Caps 48 First-choice custodian until suspension forced him out of the play-off win against Egypt and appendicitis ruled him out of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Only man at the World Cup whose surname contains seven vowels in a row. 2 Madjid Bougherra, Defender Rangers. Age 27, Caps 42 Rolls-Royce defensive linchpin, whose silky purring for the Scottish champions has over the last season attracted the attention of Barcelona, Galatasaray and Liverpool. Is “proud” of having kept Wayne Rooney “off the scoresheet” during his time at Charlton. 3 Nadir Belhadj Defender Portsmouth. Age 28, Caps 46 Tricky left-sided maverick operating either at wing-back or upfield as a winger. Earned rave notices playing for Portsmouth this season, scoring three goals and featuring in the FA Cup final defeat by Chelsea. Says he turned down a move from Barcelona to stay at Portsmouth last year. 4 Antar Yahia Defender Bochum. Age 28, Caps 45 France-born defensive totem. And became captain on Sunday. First player to change nationality under Fifa’s eligibility rules back in 2004, the former France Under-18 central defender committed to Algeria and has been a fixture ever since. Scored the goal that sent Algeria to the finals against Egypt. His father was a welder. 5 Rafik Halliche, Defender Nacional Madeira. Age 23, Caps 18 Lanky goal-miser who has been busy establishing himself in the centre of the parsimonious Algerian back line. On Benfica’s books but loaned out to Portuguese top-flight side Nacional, he is Monsieur Consistency. 6 Yazid Mansouri, Midfielder Lorient, France. Age 32, Caps 67 Crunching midfield enforcer who turned out for Coventry City in 2003-04. Technically the captain but was ditched by Rabah Saâdane for the Slovenia game on Sunday and a spat ensued. 7 Ryad Boudebouz, Midfielder Sochaux, France. Age 20, Caps 2 Youthful pocket dynamo, the 20-year-old has enjoyed two seasons in the Sochaux midfield. Turned down a chance to continue playing for the French Under-19 side in order to throw in his lot with Algeria. 8 Medhi Lacen, Midfielder Racing Santander, Spain. Age 27, Caps 4 Pocket battleship holding midfielder who only made his Algeria debut this year despite a call-up in 2006. Missed the Africa Cup of Nations this year because he was about to become a father. Likes to do his talking on the pitch. 9 Abdelkader Ghezzal, Forward Siena, Italy. Age 27, Caps 4 Powerful, bustling marksman red-carded against Slovenia and so is suspended. Doesn’t know the meaning of danger; style built on graft rather than guile. 10 Rafik Saïfi, Forward Istres, France. Age 35, Caps 61 Wily striker and some say the father figure of the squad. Scored for fun in the Algerian league, but has fallen slightly from grace since the days when he was the first name on the teamsheet. 11 Rafik Djebbour, Forward AEK Athens, Greece. Age 26, Caps 17 Pacy hitman who has spent five fruitful seasons in Greece, where he currently plies. He boasts a decent one-in-two hit rate for AEK despite often being stationed out on the wings. 12 Habib Bellaïd, Defender Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Age 24, Caps 1 Doughty left-back. Tunisia were interested in this French youth international, currently playing in France on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt. 13 Karim Matmour, Midfielder B Mönchengladbach. Age 24, Caps 21 Strasbourg-born workhorse striker-cum-attacking midfield whippet. Made his name in Germany, first for Freiburg and then for the Foals. His goalscoring record is poor but his industry is excellent and his pace offers options on the counter. 14 Abdelkader Laïfaoui, Defender Entente Setif. Age 28, Caps 7 A manager’s dream, this dependable right-back is the Algerian league’s sole outfield representative. Cucumber-cool when under pressure. 15 Karim Ziani, Midfielder Wolfsburg, Germany. Age 27 Caps 55 French-born who plays for Wolsfburg in the Bundesliga. Can play in many positions for club and country but prefers midfield. 16 Faouzi Chaouchi, Goalkeeper Entente Setif. Age 25, Caps 10 Hot-blooded Chaouchi gently headbutted the referee during a tumultuous 4–0 defeat by Egypt, but escaped with a light ban by the CAF. An appeal followed. Talented but tempestuous and prone to bad days at the office. 17 Adlène Guedioura, Midfielder Wolverhampton Wanderers. Age 24, Caps 3 “Lefty” Guedioura can play at left-back or on the left wing, where he excelled for Wolves last term. Works his socks off. 18 Carl Medjani, Defender Ajaccio, France. Age 25, Caps 0 Former France Under-21 skipper who transferred his allegiance to the nation of his father’s birth. “When my dad heard the news, he cried,” says the ball-playing Ajaccio centre-back, formerly of Liverpool reserves. 19 Hassan Yebda, Midfielder Portsmouth. Age 26, Caps 10 Versatile midfielder who can play in left and central berths, Yebda won the U-17 world championship with France, before opting to play for the land of his fathers. He is the model pro, but may be tempted by the lure of the lira this summer. 20 Djamel Mesbah, Midfielder Lecce, Italy. Age 25, Caps 1 Utility man who has broken into the squad as he gives Saâdane so many options: though his default position is left-back, he can also operate in midfield and up front. 21 Foued Kadir, Midfielder Valenciennes, France. Age 26, Caps 3 Attacking midfielder who is as brave as a lion. He has failed to win a regular berth at the northern French club, but has nevertheless impressed when selected. 22 Djamel Abdoun, Midfielder Nantes, France. Age 29, Caps 7 North Africa’s David Fairclough, this clever creative midfielder has silky skills and is used as an impact substitute. 23 Raïs M’Bohli, Goalkeeper Slavia Sofia. Age 24, Caps 1 Have gloves, will travel, this 24-year-old flirted with the big time – a brief fling at Hearts, and a trial for Manchester United – but looks to have timed his run to the big stage perfectly. Algeria World Cup 2010 Group C World Cup 2010 guardian.co.uk

See the rest here:
World Cup 2010: Algeria pen pics

World Cup 2010: Steven Gerrard hopes old habits bring England progress | Kevin McCarra

The midfielder is set to return to a more advanced role and revive his ‘fantastic understanding’ with Wayne Rooney Steven Gerrard believes a return to old ways will bring impetus to England’s World Cup campaign in their match with Algeria tomorrow night. The Liverpool midfielder, who scored the opener in the 1-1 draw with the USA, expects to revert to the more advanced role he had in qualifiers that saw Wayne Rooney score nine times. There have been no further international goals for the striker since the 5-1 rout of Croatia at Wembley last September. The balance of the line-up will alter now that Gareth Barry is free of his ankle injury. With the holding midfielder in place, Gerrard should be liberated as he roves from an attacking post towards the left. “I think that’s the plan,” he agreed, as he anticipated linking with Rooney. “We’ve had a fantastic understanding in qualification. “I like playing with good players and I enjoy playing with Wayne. Hopefully I can provide a goal for him to get off the mark. I’ve said all the way through qualifying that, if we got to the World Cup, we’d need Wayne to be our top goalscorer and to score the goals to take us to the later stages because he’s our main player.” Gerrard, after a trying season with Liverpool, exudes a confidence now that he has been released into a World Cup campaign. Few anticipated that Rooney might be the person in need of a fillip, yet his one goal in an England shirt

Go here to read the rest:
World Cup 2010: Steven Gerrard hopes old habits bring England progress | Kevin McCarra